LIGHT AGES, THE by Ian R. MacLeod - SIGNED FIRST EDITION BOOK
See all titles by Ian MacLeod.
In The Light Ages, British author Ian R. MacLeod creates an
alternate history of England in which the Industrial Revolution is
radically changed with the discovery of aether, a magical substance
that allows people to manipulate reality. But just as aether has its
benefits (it can light entire cities, make metal stronger, power
telegraph lines, change plants and animals into magical creations), it
also has a horrific dark side. Prolonged exposure to aether turns
humans into monstrosities that eventually have to be institutionalized.
Growing up in the industrial town of Bracebridge, famous for its
booming aether engines, young Robert Borrows knows firsthand the
results of working closely with the magical substance. Both his parents
worked in the aether factories, and his mother turned into a
nightmarish ghoul after a work-related accident. The aether factory and
its guild members are shrouded in ritual and secrecy, and when Robert
becomes old enough he leaves the industrial town for London in search
of answers.
Annalise is a changeling, born to a woman who was pregnant when exposed
to massive amounts of aether. But instead of showing signs of becoming
a monstrosity, Annalise is outwardly normal. In fact, she's beautiful.
The young changeling is looking for answers, too, and when she meets
Robert, their fates intertwine -- and in their search for the truth,
they uncover answers that could both destroy and free a society…
Part magic realism, part alternate history, The Light Ages is a complex, enthralling, and ultimately melancholy novel that will haunt readers long after they have put it down.